Kokum value-added products and its sensory evaluation

Garcinia indica commonly known as kokum, has lot of medicinal properties and commercial importance, but the crop remains neglected and hence there is a need to concentrate on diversification and popularization of such an underutilized fruits through development of value added products. To take advantage of health promoting properties of Kokum, Kokum fruits used as pulp and powder forms for ten different formulated and standardized value added products like Kokum Jelly (KJ), Kokum Squash (KS), Kokum Carbonated Drink (KCD), Kokum wine (KW), Kokum Diet Powder (KDP), Kokum Chutney Powder (KCP), Kokum Rasam Powder (KRP), Kokum Lassie (KL), Kokum Spray Dried Powder (KSDP) and kokum popsicles (KP). Sensory evaluation was conducted on all the products and the results indicate that, KRP were highly acceptable (8.98 ± 0.32) among all other kokum products followed by KJ, KS, KCD, KW, KDP, KCP, KL, KSDP and KP, with good acceptability scores. Value addition of Kokum fruits will improve the consumption by different communities and also reduce the postharvest losses of the Under-utilised fruit, apart from promoting several health benefits.